Are drugs always the answer?
by PAUL BIEGLER
Spot the problem in this scenario. Richard* is stressed. While he’s a high-flyer (a Rhodes Scholar no less), he’s under the pump at work and has just moved his family across nations. The job is taking more than it’s giving back. He’s in a dark place – very down, unmotivated, ill-humoured and lacking energy – so oblivion seems enticing. Worryingly, he also has a family history of depression.
Richard visits his family doctor who refers him to a psychiatrist. So far, this is unremarkable – as depression management goes.
With relief, Richard enters the psychiatrist’s plush rooms, sighs, and prepares to unburden himself and submit to wise counsel. But he’s in for a surprise. Within minutes he’s told he has depression, needs medication, and will likely do so for life. He leaves with sample pack of antidepressants in hand, and troubles still firmly packed in kit bag.
If you’re like me, you see the problem quickly. Richard, and around 70% of the people who share his diagnosis, can implicate a psychosocial stressor in the genesis of his depression. But his doctor has failed to identify and address it, even though stressor-focused treatments are available.
Drug-free alternatives
Evidence-based psychotherapy, in particular cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), is as effective as medication in the common, lesser grades of depression. You read that correctly – CBT is as good as drugs at relieving the lowered mood, hopelessness, fatigue, guilt, and poor concentration that figure in the depressive diagnostic checklist.
And not only does psychotherapy reduce psychic distress, it also tackles stressors. In addition, CBT tutors healthy scepticism about the negative perceptions that pepper the depressive psychological landscape. Such ideas cause undue pessimism and arise, almost always, from biased information processing. Challenging negative thoughts is a critical element in the therapeutic success of CBT.
Paul Biegler
Incredibly, doctors who fail to unearth and address stressful life events, or guide a stance of scepticism to negative thinking, do nothing untoward. While recent guidelines laudably embrace a broader role for psychotherapy, depression initiative beyondblue still cites a publication that concludes, because drugs and psychotherapy are equally effective, really, either will do fine. As the authors of that paper state, it’s “not so much what you do but that you keep doing it”.
But is it really all right to just give people antidepressants? Does a doctor have a duty to do more, and provide psychotherapy?
For any other illness…
Try this thought experiment. You have abdominal pain and visit your doctor, who diagnoses gallstones and recommends an operation. You become increasingly anxious, agitated, and ultimately morose at the prospect of surgery. But the doctor has a pill for that – take an antidepressant and your fears will fall away so that you can bravely front up to surgery.
This scenario is laughable, of course. A doctor would never recommend antidepressants to foster acceptance of an unpalatable circumstance. Rather, the physician would explore your fears, determine what aspects of surgery concern you, and offer information about the pre- and post-operative processes.
In essence, the doctor would provide you with information that is material to your decision about surgery, enabling you to cope with your new circumstance and to work out which course is best. And in doing so your doctor conforms to an entrenched moral duty – to promote patient autonomy, that is, the ability to self-determine based on information that is critical to interests.
But, despite respect for autonomy being embedded squarely in the moral firmament of informed consent, it seems alien to many physicians that information, not just about treatment but that results from it could also be material.
Richard will, in all likelihood, believe it material to understand which stressor caused his depression, how best to address it, and how to simultaneously deal with his relentless negative thinking. To glean this, he needs psychotherapy, not just information about it.
And doctors know this. They already promote autonomy through a range of treatment regimes. Specialists in drug and alcohol rehabilitation supply crucial facts about limiting substance use, nutrition consultants advise overweight patients to diet and exercise, hypertension specialists provide strategies for reducing salt intake, and so on.
There are many ways to beat this.
In each case, a treatment is recommended not just because it’s effective, but because it provides information material to crucial life choices.
And this is precisely why evidence-based psychotherapy ought to be provided to people with depression. Drugs may treat symptoms but they do nothing to help people navigate depression, appraise and manage stressors, or critique the validity of their negative thoughts. A prescription for antidepressants might fulfil a physician’s clinical duty of care on current guidelines, but drugs alone fall short in the moral domain.
What Richard did
Richard opted for the DIY solution. Luckily for him, he had a formidable analytical arsenal at his disposal, and his critical faculties had not been fatally routed. He rounded on his job as a noxious influence in his life and bravely resigned, to the amazement of his boss. The depression lifted, sans medication, in less than a month.
Recently, the black dog scratched at his door again. This time he was prepared, and confidently asked his new boss to cut back his workload a little. Most people are not endowed with such self-possession. What people with depression need are doctors prepared to pay more than lip service to autonomy and to provide psychotherapy in those common grades where evidence supports its use.
*Not his real name
This post originally appeared here on The Conversation and has been republished with full permission.
If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner or in Australia, contact Lifeline 13 11 14 for support, beyondblue 1300 22 4636 or SANE Australia for information.
Paul Biegler is the author of The Ethical Treatment of Depression: Autonomy through Psychotherapy (MIT Press 2011), which won the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics.
Do we overuse drugs to treat mental illness?
Comments
78 Comments so far
Generally speaking, I think that drugs are useful in treating depression in the early stages of diagnosis but only if they are used in conjunction with some form of therapy. Unfortunately anti-depressants have a reputation for simply masking the depression, while the user does nothing to address the reason why they are depressed in the first place.
For me, anti-depressants were useful in my early stages of diagnosis. They made it possible for me to get out of bed in the morning and attend my counseling sessions with a great psychologist. Those first few months of therapy were incredibly difficult and I doubt that I could have continued if it wasn’t for the relief the medication provided.
Six months later I decided to go off the medication and this was where my problems began. Although I consulted my doctor and gradually reduced my dosage over two weeks, when completely off the medication, I was a mess. Migraines every day, insomnia, intense depression and emotional hysterics were common over two weeks of what my psychologist told me was ‘withdrawal’. Basically I was experiencing the symptoms an addict goes through when they give up their substance of choice.
Given my experience, all I can say is please do not take the use of anti-depressants lightly. I was on a very small dosage and it still knocked me for six, even after all the good it did in the beginning.
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Hmm. Well I don’t know what to think. I had a few sessions of CBT to treat an anxiety-related speech disorder. I absolutely loathed it. I only lasted 3 sessions as each time, I came out angrier and angrier. It certainly didn’t help.
So was I seeing the wrong person? This guy is a well-respected psychology professor, specialising in speech pathology. Or was it just me? In time, I’ve just tried to sort it out myself. It hasn’t gone away but it has improved.
I’m at present going though quite a horrible patch. Can honestly say I’ve never been so miserable. And I’m actually really, really BORED of being miserable, but there you go, wishing it away doesn’t make it so. And there are “stressors”, hell yes, but so what? It’s how I’m reacting to it that’s the problem. So am I best off just trying to muddle through it again? Usually that means trying to turn my mind away from the blackness lurking in the corner, but fuck it is hard at times.
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Hang in there. I truly believe a lot of these problems can be helped dramatically with diet. I know it has helped me. Google the earth diet and there are free recipes and information for you. They are anti vax but I ignore that bit. Please at least take a look because I swear it has changed my life.
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I weaned myself off antidepressants (with the help of my gp) because I wanted to be medication free when I tried to fall pregnant. I’m now completely off them and the anxiety and depression is worse than ever. The doctor’s put me back on lexapro but says I can’t take it if I become pregnant. Does anyone know which antidepressants are safe to take during pregnancy?
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Your doctor would probably know that.
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Google black dog institute and breast feeding. they have a good article you can take with you to see your G.P it is not as black and white as you can’t take Lexapro but their is small increased risk you need to weigh up with your G.P. It is a grey area and need to target the individual.
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I suffered from horrendous ante-natal depression in both my pregnancies (not post-natal though, interestingly) and I used Prothiedan 75mg from the second trimester in pregnancy one (it took every ounce I had to hold off that long but I was very worried about the major organ growth etc in trimester one) however I used the drug all the way through pregnancy two. The OB chose that drug as it’s one of the older ADs so they have a much longer list of studies re its use in pregnancy etc.
Interestingly, my oldest child (with the shorter exposure to the drug and for whom I ticked every single “how to give your baby THE best start” box except for the “no medication” one) is well below average academically (but savvy and enterprising though, so she’ll get on). My second child (with the drug exposure through the whole pregnancy and who was largely, ahem, treated to chicken kebabs as it was one of the few foods I could keep down) is in the top third of his year at a selective school. Go figure. Both kids are the picture of health – but truly: they’ve virtually neverrrrr been sick in their 14 and 11 years of life. I don’t get any of it really but if I had my time over I’d make the same choices. Bestest of luck with your decision.
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I see a psych for therapy and take two different medications, one of them I am taking ‘off label’, which means it’s a drug that’s not necessarily prescribed for the reason I’m taking it. This drug costs me $112 per month(private prescription), plus $35 for my anti depressant and I am out of pocket $220 per month for my therapy. This is alot of money for an average family. Sometimes I feel guilty that I am taking money for my treatment that my kids need…It’s a hard choice.
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What you give back to your family as a better functioning human being will be priceless to them while you can afford it. Shop around for your off labels too. Lamictal and Seroquel are off patent now and you can get good prices for generics of them (excuse me for guessing but these are commonly used for mood disorders outside PBS )
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Along with many other posters, I can’t say I’m a fan of this article. I am a psychologist, so while I am all for talk therapy, the fact is that quite often, unless a patient is on medication, therapy is unsuccessful. Depression is often caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, and this needs to be corrected before therapy will have a positive impact. While therapy alone can be enough for someone with mild depression, for those unlucky enough to suffer from more severe forms, therapy by itself just won’t cut it in most instances. In fact, the research suggests a combination of both medication and therapy is best practice.
I think it’s also important for people to know that there are lots of different types of therapy out there too. CBT has certainly been shown to be effective so I’m not discounting that as an option at all. However it’s not for everyone and my suggestion would be that it’s more important to find a psychologist that you click with, rather than the particular type of therapy they subscribe to. There is some research that suggests the relationship a client has with their therapist has more impact on treatment outcomes than the type of therapy they do.
Depression is an awful illness and so misunderstood by the general public. I would so love to see the stigma eventually disappear.
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Beautifully said. Depression and Anxiety ARE chemical imbalances in the Brain:)
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Actually that is one theory as to what causes depression and anxiety, it is not conclusively proven as far as I know and that’s why antidepressants don’t work for lots of people. I think this article had one very good point in saying that the individual has to find out whether there was a stressor, whether it was a sudden change without a trigger, or maybe just an aspect of their personality they can learn to deal with in a healthier way.
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Hmm. People must have been doing a different form of CBT than me. I met with the psychologist fortnightly (weekly if I could arrange it) for 1 hour. There is not a lot of talking you can get done in 1 hour!
Mostly for me it was (reasonably quickly) talking about the problems then working with the psychologist to understand what was happening and doing exercises. This involved doing a lot of homework by my self.
In this regard the psychologist is more like a physiotherapist – but for your head. You go in, get the most uncomfortable ‘massage’ possible, get assigned some speactularly boring exercises, go home and try and find the motivation to do those exercises (which you know will work if you did them, but meh! do they have to be so boring?!).
For instance, I had insomnia as a symptom so I was assigned to fill out some sleep diaries. While tedious to fill out, they were very effective in finding patterns and helping along.
So my (limited) understanding of going to the psychologist is that you don’t spend a lot of time ‘talking’ – rather than doing.
For me, my problem was mild and I caught it early and it was easily treated. I can see that there are some forms of depression/anxiety, like mine, where early drug-free psycotherapy can be enormously beneficial. I think a lot of people (health pros and otherwise) assume that by the time you present at the doctors you are pretty bad ergo you need drugs. This is slack thinking and does not see the individual in the diagnosis.
Also there is a difference between depression and anxiety. Before I started, I too thought they were the same thing. They’re not and probably require different approaches for different people. Is anxiety the problem or the symptom. I thought I had depression – I was wrong, I had anxiety problems (not the symptom). This probably made the solution the psychologist gave me a bit different.
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great response – I agree
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This is an interesting article. I wanted to share my own experience in response because I am coming from a slightly different place to the writer.
Four years ago my only child at the time, a two year old, died suddenly and unexpectedly of unknown causes. My husband and I underwent intense grief counselling and the post traumatic stress associated with this life event was part of the processing of the grief. Added to this was is the fact that my father died two years ago, I have had two more children and just finished a degree. I have continued to have psychotherapy over the years and in the last year, in particular, I had become increasingly dependant on these weekly psychotherapic sessions. This was up until a few months ago when I completely lost it and didn’t know what to do because the psychotherapist I was seeing went away on an extended holiday. I rang a helpline number that suggested I got to the hospital however I went to a GP the next morning who prescribed an anti-depressant. The GP was also very surprised to hear that I had not been prescribed something sooner considering the stress I have been under in recent years. With two children under 3 and the demands of functioning at a normal’ level I feel that the ant-depressant has given me the opportunity to better process the information that is discussed in my psychotherapy sessions without hurling my emotions in random directions. This is the first time I have been on an anti-depressant and although I don’t want to discount the great work that has been down through psychotherapy I would be wary of the two becoming mutually exclusive.
I don’t feel proud of the fact that I have coped this long without an anti-depressant but rather I am frustrated as I could have helped my family and myself better had I been encouraged to take something sooner.
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I do agree that antidepressants are over prescribed in our society and I believe are best saved for persistent, severe depression. I am not a big fan of CBT, but absolutely believe in the power of therapy. I found it strange that in the example ‘Richard’ was referred to a psychiatrist. I’ve been to loads of GPs about depression and in my experience they generally refer patients to a psychologist and possibly prescribe AD’s themselves. Unless you have severe or complex issues or are already on medicine and it’s not working then they refer to a psychiatrist. Most psychiatrists focus on diagnosis and medication and it is rare to find a counselling psychiatrist so I wouldn’t have been surprised if I was Richard.
Anyway the point is the way GPs and the health system deals with depression needs a major revision as many are getting it so wrong! I have a really good GP who specialises in depression and looks at things holistically, not just meds.
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My Dad had depression my whole life till he died and I wish he had access to the CBT that my sister is receiving in conbination with her meds. We either had a totally screwed up guy or a zombie. Take the pills, there’s no shame in it and they often work but that’s just the start. Learning how to tell when your brain is talking shit to you should be in schools right next to the alphabet.
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I agree! I said this to my husband the other day. We teach kids how to eat well and make them exercise at school but hardly touch on mental health (and I’m talking about monthly classes not just cursory mentions here and there).
I think it’s criminal that we don’t, as a society, teach our young people the life long lessons of managing their psychological health in much the same way they manage their physical health.
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If i didnt take anti depressants, i would have killed myself. actually.
I have suffered from severe depression for years. I take a very high dose of antidepressants coupled with psychological intervention. This is what works for me. There are so many people who fear the stigma of being labelled ‘depressed’ or having a mental illness, and they dont take the meds, suffering instead.
Without medication my world is a fog of dark and numbness. I literally stay in bed for days, terrified of everything, and wanting to die, just for the pain to go away.
If id succeeded in killing myself when i last tried, i never wouldve met my niece and nephews, i wouldve missed out on meeting some of my best friends, and i wouldnt be about to travel the world.
Meds dont work for everyone. But articles like this only further the stigma and shame of having an illness that is killing you. Its killing you but no one can see it.
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I don’t think this article contributes in any way to stigma or shame in relation to mental illness. Nor does it refute the benefits of medication for heavily depressed people or those with other types of mental illness.
It simply makes the point that many doctors immediately diagnose anti-depressants for low level depression instead of recommending counselling such as CBT, or recommending a mixture of both.
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If taking a drug stops you from wanting to top yourself, I’d say that’s a plus. I know from experience that the right drug can lift you out of a very black place and bring you back to normal functioning. I’ve had depression on and off for about 20 years now. The last time I got really down I took a very well-known SSRI and it made all the difference, within a week. By which I mean: I was able to go to work every day without having crying fits before work and during the day in my office, I was able to eat and sleep, I could cook and do my laundry and I could pay the rent. For me, I have to get to a basic level of functioning before I can start tackling the problems that got me down in the first place. The origins of my depression aren’t biological – they come from some big problems in my family life when I was growing up. For that reason, I find CBT and psychotherapy very useful, particularly psychotherapy. But once the biological symptoms of a severe depressive episode are happening, you really have to do whatever works, because it’s dangerous if you don’t. Also, if you’re a single person and you can’t rely on your family, then you’ve got to be able to function well enough to earn your living and pay the rent. In my experience, all the non-drug therapies work a lot better when you’re not dealing with depressive symptoms on top of everything else.
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The ” talking therapies” are great if you are a person who wants to talk. Not everyone does. Men especially have trouble with this.
And if you are experiencing true severe depression there may not be a particular reason that can be pinpointed.
So by the time you seek help you can be a long way from knowing where to start. It’s a little bit like having a toothache but not really being sure which tooth it is.
It’s a very slow process these talking therapies.
So if you can find an antidepressant that takes the edge off the pain, take it.
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Yes. This is right. I tried CBT and LOATHED it. Absolutely hated every minute of it. Not for me at all.
I did find that starting the anti-depressants helped me work out what was worth worrying and getting down about, and what wasn’t. Then I felt like talking, and we worked on strategies then. But talking and talking? Not a chance it would have helped without the pill every morning. How do you think people end up in the pit in the first place? They’re not talking!
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Hubby’s dad died suddenly 3 years ago so the doctor put him on Ativan to help him cope as he was left to deal with alot (he had previously been on Zoloft for a number of years), the doctor said it was fine to stay on this medication Ativan, it was a very low dose 1/2 tablet a day.. he was on them for 3 years until a few problems came up – drinking with benzo’s not a good idea.. he is now on Cymbalta after seeing a different, much more thorough, doctor – the change is fantastic – he is no longer a zombie and seems so much happier and engaging with the kids etc… Im angry at the previous doctor who said he could stay on Ativan long term, when all the information you read says its a short term medication only.. it almost broke our marriage.
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Honestly. What codswallop. I have been working in mental health for 15 years and have myself experienced depression disabling enough to land me in hospital several times. Of course CBT is crucial. As is mindfulness, exercise, DBT and a healthy diet. But for most of us with severe depression, all of these *combined* – without medication – will do nothing to lessen the symptoms. This article really alarms me. There is enough misinformation out there about depression and other mental illnesses; please Mamamia, let’s not add to it.
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I have a strong family history of depression, and have been on anti depressants since I was 19 (I’m now 31). Throughout 2 pregnancies, 36 months of breastfeeding (and counting!), bowel cancer, PND and just life, it has been a constant. I have tried many types of therapy, but the fact remains that I am a happy, well adjusted, optimistic kind of person with a strong support network who needs meds to function. So be it. I will not be ashamed.
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Well said Amanda, could not have summed it up better myself, agree with your articulate comments 100%.
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While I applaud “Richard” for being so proactive, it strikes me that not everyone would be in the financial position to up and quit their job when faced with the same situation.
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I think both CBT and medication have their place – ‘talking it out’ can be a great weight off your shoulders, and from what my doc explained, a lot of depression comes from chemical imbalances in the brain, and the antidepressants help correct that – something talking just can’t do.
however, I was using both in combination for some years, getting a little better,but never able to feel like I would ever feel ‘right’ again.
That was until other health complications occurred, and it turned out that I need to inject B vitamins that I can’t properly absorb due to immunity issues. As soon as those levels were corrected, I was able to drop the antidepressants almost immediately, and the counselling not long after.
The lack of vitamins had me so ‘flattened’ that I couldn’t face doing anything/going anywhere, & I was having suicidal thoughts…not the perceived ‘usual’ thoughts of “I hate the world, everythings so hopeless,” but more “I’m so bored of everything, I just can’t be bothered any more”
Sometimes, it IS a chemical imbalance, but it’s just not the EXPECTED imbalance. It’s worthwhile having a full set of blood tests done as well!
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I personally find this article incredibly misleading – it is not par for the course to go to your gp, get a referral to a psychiatrist and then be provided a prescription and that’s it – you are also referred to a psychologist and have follow up appointments with your GP because ANY health professional (or person who has experienced depression) will tell you that neither CBT or drugs alone are going to result in long term improvements – they need to be used in conjunction with one another.
This article really just comes across as an attempt to plug his own business and book by undermining psychiatry and promoting psychotherapy.
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Glad there is a voice of reason here!
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I completely agree – with history of caring for people with mental illness, and then coming down with PTSD myself, I am yet to come across a Dr who simply writes a prescription and leaves the person to head off on their (un)merry way.
I’m sure there are a few bad eggs out there like in any profession, but the majority of Drs that I’ve come across are doing the very best for their patients and are looking at the bigger picture. For both me and my family, anti-depressants and therapy combined have worked best. I know this is probably the author’s ultimate standpoint also, but he’s gone about it in a very us/them way.
Please to any readers out there needing treatment – take this article with a grain of salt.
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There are parts of this article I agree with. I have been on a small dose of Lexapro since my son was born 4 years ago. I have tried stopping cold turkey on a few occassions and have failed miserably. At some point I know I need to come off them, for the moment I am happy and am getting better at the balance of having two sons, a husband and a fulltime job. Life is busy, but good.
I have noticed that I have inherited a lot of learned behaviours from my family who have depression and anxiety but would be loathe to admit it. I think CBT would work very well for me. I can be very negative and need to learn to change my thinking. I have recently overhauled my diet, cut out gluten and sugar and exercise 4-6 times a week which really helps me.
I do look forward to a day where I don’t need to take my happy pill. For the moment though, perhaps I do rely on it too much, but it does give me clarity and a sense of calm and at the moment I do need this.
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Once my husband was on anti depressants he was also able to identify depressing thought patterns he inherited from his family. When they get together all they talk about is how bad the world is despite their own situations never really changing and living pretty happy middle class lives. If they won the lottery all they see was the worst. He said this has gone on since he was a child
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Why do you feel that you need to go off it one day? I’m on lexapro too ( 10mg).
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My friend explained wanting to go off in a slow over time reduction as she wants to be fully in control of her mind and body and doesn’t feel this way while taking medicine. Conflicting for her as she also truly believes the treatment she is on has been a useful tool.
For her (not suggesting for others) alot of her need to be on them is because of past life issues that she is slowly overcoming. She believes at some point through coaching & other avenues she will be able to stop.
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Quite frankly, this article makes me angry. Really pissed off to be honest. I don’t think many of us with depression put our hands up loud and proud to say “I take medication to function! Yay me!”. No, we do so because otherwise we WOULD NOT FUNCTION. FULL STOP. I’m in my early 40s, but have suffered on and off from depression my entire life. I recognised that something was amiss early, sought help from many, many professionals (and still do) and have found that the mix of CBT, psychoanalysis, PLUS medication, are what I need.
My family and I have had a particularly stressful summer. For a number of reasons (all of them spectacularly stupid – lost prescription, long weekend, away from home etc) I have not taken my medication. For the past 3 days I have been filled with an anxiety, sense of dread, and inability to function that has been crippling. I exercised, ate well, and practised all of my meditation techniques regularly, but none of those even made a pin prick in my mental and emotional state. Yesterday I refilled my prescription and woke up today with a sense of ability that I haven’t felt in a number of days. Our problems are not solved by any measure, but I have the energy and ability to be able to at least try to meet them standing up.
There is so much negativity swirling around the use of medication for depression. My view? Get the hell over it. Apart from the anti vacc gang and their ‘theories’ regarding vaccinations, nobody has an axe to grind about diabetics taking insulin, or asthmatics using ventolin.
I am thankful that I have found professionals in my life who have seen that the ongoing treatment of depression involves a multi faceted approach. And I will continue with all of those approaches as long as they benefit me.
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I really don’t think he is talking about people like you who benefit from medication. I think his point is medication is not the only solution and a more holistic approach to people instead of grappling the prescription pad at first meeting for someone may not be the way to go. Considering antidepressants often make people worse before they are better a good considered approach to this with a good discussion about options from medication to counselling to making life changes is a better option then throwing a prescription at someone and leaving it at that ( It does happen – not every G.P has time/ thoughtfulness to go through all this).
The reality is if you do not have a chemical imbalance- ie your mildly for obvious reasons antidepressants may not be the best option.
I do not think he is bagging drugs but stating what people who work In health like myself know is true- antidepressants are over prescribed. Kind of like antibiotics are- Sure they are brilliant and save lives when used correctly but if they are not really necessary why plague someone with a life time prescription habit with side effects and risks if they do not need them?
Remember he is not targeting you but people like me who sometimes get depressed for good reasons who can find their way out without medication. pointing that out in no way derides your experience with medication.
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Hi Amanda. I got a different impression, the article didn’t say that “Richard” actually suffered from depression, just that he was stressed, had a positive family history of depression and was showing some depressive symptoms. I do think that in that type of scenario, just writing a prescription without even offering other forms of therapy would be inappropriate.
I completely agree with your statement of the need for a multi-faceted approach, and I thought that this was also what the article was promoting. There are different types and severity of depression, and just like the analogy of diabetics and their insulin, it would also not be appropriate to give insulin to a diabetic who could control their blood sugar with diet or oral medications. In fact, it could be very very dangerous to give insulin to someone who did not need it.
I don’t think the article was negative towards anti-depressants, just the inappropriate or irresponsible use of medication. I also don’t know that there is necessarily that much negativity swirling around the appropriate use of medication for depression. I think that any negativity associated with appropriate use of anti-depressants is quite an archaic point of view and pretty much only shared by the un-evolved and ignorant.
I keep wanting to type something personal, like “sorry your summer sucked” or “hope things are getting better”, but keep worrying that it will just sound facetious. I’m writing this straight up because you sound like a strong, sensible, smart woman who I hope might appreciate an alternative view.
I get the impression this is a sensitive topic for you, but attitudes are changing and I reckon you just could put your hand up “loud and proud” and say that you take medication because you need to. The vast majority of us would only think the better of you for it. How can the fact that you care enough about yourself and your family to do what needs to be done to look after yourself be anything but positive and admirable?
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I had depression when I was at the last trimester with my second child. After I had my baby I was put on anti-depressants – big mistake. So many bad side effects. I weaned myself off them then I want to see a herbalist. She put me on alternative medicine which has no side effects and also helped my depression. I am now medication free because I didn’t want to be on them forever. Another advice my herbalist gave me was that once I was finished with the medication, if I occasionally felt black and was filled with anxiety, I could take about 8 almonds and some walnuts and they too would help with those feelings. It is well known that nuts can raise your seratonin levels, which when they’re down is what causes the depression etc. They nuts work for me because I still occasionally experience anxiety and darkness. I urge people to try nuts as a healthy alternative and see how they feel. It can’t hurt. My daughter, who I carried inside me when I had depression, (she is now 8 years old) unfortunately experiences anxiety occasionally and I offer her 8 almonds. After a while she is well again.
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I like this comment. I was speaking to a good friend of mine last night regarding the links between diet/depression and she mentioned nuts too. On her advice I am going to try this. Also interesting to note is the link between epilepsy and depression and epilepsy was something I suffered as a child.
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Hang on – you’re taking antidepressants prescribed by a doctor, and you’re going to change that based on the advice of a friend who eats nuts? Please go and talk to a doctor and not on the advice of some friend and some random on the interwebs extolling the virtues of almonds to restore brain chemistry.
If your brain chemistry is out of whack, there is nothing wrong with taking tablets to sort that out. Would you take the same “advice” about insulin or epilepsy medication?
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This advice is an oversimplification of the research into diet, nuts and depression. Researchers don’t claim nuts to be a quick fix but studied the addition of nuts to an all round healthy Mediterranean diet. Hopefully this link will appear. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-brain-food/201205/can-the-mediterranean-diet-treat-your-depression
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I think proposing almonds and walnuts as an effective treatment for depression is both laughable and offensive to those who suffer with this serious disorder. Please keep in mind that chronic depression varies wildly from feeling occasionally “black” and “anxious”. It is a debilitating illness that prevents an individual from being able to function effectively in their day-to-day lives. They cannot get out of bed in the morning, they may not shower or bathe every day, they have no energy, motivation or hope for the future whatsoever. While a healthy diet does of course comprise any effective treatment plan, along with regular exercise, which has a crucial impact on serotonin levels, I think it would be remiss to minimise the condition by presenting the inclusion of nuts in ones diet as a solution.
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You asked what harm can trying nuts as a healthy alternative do. I think if it causes people to seek or stop treatment for depression it could be very harmful And why 8 almonds, why not 10 or 5? There is no research that states that 8 almonds and a few walnuts cure depression. This kind of advice is akin to telling people to go for a run around the block, it is dismissive, lacks proper evidence and potentially harmful. If it was this simple nut growers and companies would’ve seized on the evidence and be promoting their products like crazy.
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I think this is an irresponsible article, just like an anti-vacc article. It’s generalised and alarmist and adds to the myth that drugs are bad for mental health issues.
A psych will often recommend medication first to be able to get the patient up to a point that they can actually discuss their situation clearly.
If stress is the reason ‘Richard’ went to the doctor, then he probably did need to manage the cortisol secretion and get him to a point of coping first and then unpack the stress issues and find ways to manage it.
I would like to hear the doctors side to this ‘story’ and find out if there was going to be further consults.
And finally, the point that ‘Richard’ is a Rhodes Scholar means what? Smart people know better when it comes to depression? That the great unwashed can take the tablets but not the smarty pants?
It’s flimsy case study and lack of true insight and understanding worries me.
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I agree. I was surprised to read this here, frankly.
I actually have a theory that it’s smart people who are more prone to depression, because when you can think of the implications of, or reasons behind something happening to you, if you’re smart, you can come up with LOTS of little branches off branches, rather than just going “Oh, OK” and moving on and getting on with things.
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Really don’t think he means antidepressants are bad- just that they are not necessary for everyone. I don’t think he is saying they are bad for everyone but just that not everyone who feels depressed needs them. remember there is different degrees of depression and saying there is more then one solution is not a bad thing. The reality is they don’t work for the first few weeks anyway so they are not a quick fix solution more of long term maintenance that not everyone needs. Why is that a bad thing to point out. It is true and an important message.
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This is a hard one, but I do feel the writer had a slightly one-eyed view of anti-depressant use. I think in certain situations they are invaluable and bring people out of a darkness that can be dangerous at worst and awful to experience at best. I agree that there are probably situations where it is obvious that a significant stressor has caused a problem eg. a death where perhaps counselling is more appropriate, but even in those situations, if they have Major Depressive symptoms, an antidepressant could help. I am talking weeks and weeks of not getting out of bed, not eating, showering etc. A person doesn’t have to be suicidal for a depression to be debilitating. And I don’t think it is a long drop from a moderate depression to suicidal ideation either.
In all cases, I think any medication of this type is best taken in conjunction with appropriate therapy. It helps the medication do its job and can help recognise unhelpful thinking styles.
And although Richard’s handling of life the DIY way seems to have worked out just fine for him, there are many other stories of how people probably ‘should’ have been on antidepressants, but didn’t take them due to feeling stigmatized, especially men. They then got worse or aren’t here to tell the story! Sad, but true.
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I just want to point out that having major depression is not necessarily about not getting out of bed for weeks and weeks, not showering etc. many people with depression go to work and appear to be functioning citizens, to the outside world.
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Agreed Deb!
A friend from mothers group was commenting on how together one of the other girls and I seem to be…..we are both in therapy for different things. Me for PTSD and her for anxiety.
We both have days where we can’t get out of bed or function, but most of the time we are out and about.
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You also become an EXCELLENT actor as well.
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For years, I tried to struggle through life. For the most part I failed. My GP repeatedly referred me to a psychiatrist, because I refused to take medication. I couldn’t afford the psychiatrist and kept telling myself to snap out of it. Every night I’d go to bed and think “tomorrow you’re going to get your act together”. I thought it was a simple case of mind over matter.
It wasn’t. A friend of mine actually dialled the number of the doctor and made me make an appointment. I was a mess. I told my GP that I was ready to try medication.
I didn’t suddenly wake up one morning after starting them feeling like everything was rosy. But what I did feel was a much better sense of reality. I could deal with stressful events in a measured way, without those issues bringing me to my knees. Looking back, they weren’t actually all that stressful – just things that people have to deal with.
I said to a friend at Christmas time that I wish I had taken this step long ago. I feel like I’ve wasted years of my life, curled up and too crippled by depression to do things like a normal person. I’ve kept up a good facade, but I’m so much better now.
To anyone who thinks they may be depressed – it’s up to you, but I would highly recommend a mild dose of anti-depressants. The first week or so you feel a bit odd, but it’s a small price to pay to get your life back.
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For years and years I have been against medication, believed it was a bandaid effect (I still do believe this to some extent) however, I got to the point 6 months ago where the whole bottom Of my world fell out. My parents convinced me to see a Dr and talk about medication and a referral to a counsellor. I finally agreed, as this pattern of what felt like my life falling apart had been occurring for the last 10 years since I was 16. Enough was enough. I was sick of being miserable. So I saw a Dr who put me on the lowest dose.possible. as I was living interstate and away from all my family and friends I decided to quit my job, end my relationship and move home. His happened in the space of two weeks with no prior planning for any of it. Anxiety kicked in big time as did depression. I got home and the first thing I did was went to my Dr, got a mental health plan and started seeing a psychologist. Over time things started picking up. It has been a long long road but finally asking for help from my.family was the first step. The tablets have helped, and I uped the dosage after a.month. but the absolute key is that I am dealing with my depression and anxiety with a psychologist, family and friends. I still firmly believe that tablets alone don’t cure anything. You need to sort your issues out.
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I agree with the premise that people living with depression should have some autonomy about their treatment. I am all for therapy in whatever form people want to pursue. I think that there are a lot of people with a fear of therapy. They don’t understand what it is & how it will work & there are so many different forms practised by different professionals. ‘But is it really all right to just give people antidepressants? Does a doctor have a duty to do more, and provide psychotherapy.’ I think doctors have a duty to provide people with options & information. I also think that in more severely presenting cases, medication first can give patients the space to begin to actively think more about what they want than to just struggle through symptoms hour to hour & sometimes minute by minute.
I had PND four years ago & I admitted myself to a mother baby unit of a psychiatric hospital. Day one, I gladly took the medication I was offered. I made sure I could still breastfeed on it & asked what it was & what it did & how long it took to work. Day two, I took my medication but asked so many questions that in the end I was given the medication flyer to read at my own leisure. I was very lucky in that the medication I was given was low dose & I responded well to it. My psychiatrist chose well for my situation. A few side effects going on & coming off but the day to day effects were bareable & preferable to how I felt without them. They allowed me to focus when I did my CBT course. They allowed me to function in the world more easily but they were not stand alone in my recovery. I know in my case that without the medication my recovery would have taken much much longer. I needed both medication & therapy & support to tackle my diagnosis of depression brought about post-natally. And the anti-anxiety medication & sleeping tablets allowed me to sleep so I could manage again the next day.
Everyone’s mental health journey is so individual both in their symptoms, feelings & thoughts & the causal factors. I don’t think you can discount the effectiveness of well-prescribed medication in conjunction with good therapy. You have to be willing to do the work if you want to get better yet not all conditions are temporary. In these case you need to be able to be aware of your triggers & have coping strategies that you can use. Communication is key. People wouldn’t expect patients with physical ailments to go without medications that improve their condition & quality of life. So I think equally there should be no stigma or expectation that recovering with medication is somehow seen as a soft option. Some conditions simply do require responsible medication.
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My husband would have killed himself if he wasn’t on antidepressants.
That sounds brutal but it is absolutely the truth.
Medication has a very important role in treating depression.
I think the author has a very narrow view that really only supports his agenda.
CBT is great but not suited to everybody at every stage of their life. Medications accessible and mostly affordable to everyone.
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Hi Anonymous,
I am glad to hear your husband was able to find help.
I too have been in the same situation.
My partner reacted terribly to an anti depressant he was given, with the psychiatrist and doctor dismissing his concerns with some symptoms. Ultimately, he attempted suicide while taking them. Turns out the dose and drug was very rarely prescribed and unsuitable for him completely. Since then, he has treated his depression through psychotherapy techniques and has been much better.
I think it depends on the situation. I agree with Paul that drugs are usually the first response, not the last. After my partner attempted suicide, I went to my GP for help who tried to give me a prescription straight away.
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Hi B, sorry to hear you have been in the same boat. it is so hard.
the first and second psych’s my husband went to both did more damage than good. it wasn’t until he went to someone that i had been seeing to help me cope with everything that she got through to him.
she was a older, very experienced women who worked within a bigger practice. amazing. she got through to the core in one session. it was incredible.
that is my advice to people now. don’t just accept the first person your doc refers to, and if you don;t click straight away then try someone else.
i think it would be great if they set up men’s health centres where doc’s with good mental health knowledge worked. getting blokes to the doc is hard enough without then needing to go elsewhere.
all the best
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I absolutely agree with the other commenters in saying that medication shouldn’t be dismissed in many situations, however my situation is one of those that did not require it.
I had PND after both children, but after the second was much worse. No suicidal thoughts or wont to inflict harm on my children, but a very real sense of not being able to cope with any task that wasn’t completely routine and mundane and still allowed me to wallow on the couch the majority of the day. Social situations, the shops, crowds, all frightened me. Any show or book about children saddened me. I feared leaving my kids in the car accidentally on a hot day and forgetting they were there. That kind of thing.
My psychologist (who I continued to see for several months) was wonderful in assisting me to “download” my troubles – many from childhood etc that had been weighing me down even 25 years later. But it was my GP who (probably unintentionally) helped me even more – I had been on the mini-pill while attempting to breastfeed but it had all gone to poo, so I wanted to revert back to the normal pill. This was at the same time that anti-depressants were being discussed, and I mentioned to my doctor that I wanted to only take one of the medications to start with as I was worried I would (psychologically) overload myself – not sure why I thought this but it was a constant worry. He agreed and we decided to get a months worth of normal pill into my system before starting the anti-depressants.
Within the month my whole psychology had changed. I certainly wasn’t “cured” and continued counselling etc but I do believe my pregnancy and post-pregnancy hormones were completely imbalanced and were causing (or largely contributing to) the PND. I am firmly of the belief that what takes 9 months to happen, takes at least 9 months to return to “normal”, and I think this is what was happening for me.
Obviously this is NOT for everyone, not even every PND sufferer but I wanted to share it because maybe for some it is an option?
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It’s so interesting to hear your account, Shaezy. I too wasn’t suicidal or wanting to harm my child but I was a sleep-deprived wreck & it all began on day three when my hormones dropped. Hormones can have a huge role in our mental health when we are pregnant & afterwards. I was determined to breastfeed partly because I felt so inadequate as a mother & really had no idea how to care for a newborn. I found it was something I was able to do once I got the hang of it so I breastfed for over a year. But it meant that my hormones would have been affecting me for all of that time. I was on anti-depressants for one year. I wonder had I opted not to feed that way & gone on a pill if things would have stabilised sooner for me? Interesting thought but in reality I had other factors in my PND, like anxiety, isolation, lack of close family support & mental health family history so maybe it would not have made much difference. Who knows?
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Thanks for your reply hellopetal. I’m really glad you were able to find a path that helped you, especially given your other difficult circumstances. Being a first time new mum can be scary enough without your mind and body schitzing out on you as well!!
I think in so many cases it’s very much “who knows”, and it’s such an awful tough road to trek while trying to figure it out. It’s likely that the medication *would* have helped me as well; I think I may have just lucked out with the whole Pill thing.
I really feel for people who have to fiddle with meds and doses etc (it’s taken my best friend almost 16 years to get the balance right!!) as it’s so exhausting when you just want to be well again, but nothing is One Size Fits All.
Best of luck to you and I hope that chapter is closed now xx
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I believe I have depression and have so for a couple of years. I don’t want to go on medication and find it hard to talk to anyone about it.
At times I can manage it, I know when im stressed and therefore remove my self from stressors. I quit Uni because it was the major stressor in my life, for a few weeks I was feeling really good. But now, Im back to where I started, feeling like hell. This time the stressor is not having a job. I can’t do much about this… Day after day I apply for jobs and day after day I get rejected. I cant make someone hire me, and this when I see no end to the pain, its a continuous cycle.
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Hi Jess,
I too was very against going on medication but sometimes it is a means to an end – I was on medication for a short time but it lifted the complete blackness from around me just enough that I could start looking forward in life again rather than wallowing in a void and sinking deeper. There is absolutely nothing wrong with treating an chemical condition with a chemical cure to get yourself to a point where you can use your mind to feel better rather than flee from destructive thoughts. I’ve been where you are and I now have a wonderful fulfilled life and live medication free.
Go and see a good doctor – they won’t push you into medication but also don’t be afraid to try it.
All the best and take care of yourself.
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Hi Jess
I can certainly appreciate where you are coming from. Up until last year I was against using meds to treat my depression, I had issues with the nature of the side effects. I strongly suggest you go and see a psychologist, at least. A psychologist is able to use other methods to assist you, and they are unable to prescribe medication. They can recommend but cannot prescribe. If you wish to talk someone send me a message and I’ll be happy to chat with you if you like, but overall I highly recommend seeking professional help. Depression can be a debilitating illness, remember it is an illness and as such can be treated.
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Hmm. While I agree that therapy should continue once you start medication, and that for some people it might be all that is necessary, I found the tone of this a little arrogant.
For years I tried to talk through my panic attacks and depression. I was in CBT for 18 months once a week. Tried a psychiatrist but refused to discuss medication initally so started psychotherapy. Eventually I started taking some meds, and continued with the therapy. I can honestly say the difference that little pill has made to my life is unbelievable.
Often I feel like I’m not good enough because I wasn’t able to manage my depression & anxiety without medication. That I took the easy route. Luckily I catch myself in these unhelpful thought patterns now and remember – it still isn’t easy, and it’s ok to have a little help. If I were diabetic I’d take insulin, if I was asthmatic I’d use ventolin. My brain needs a little chemical help and I’m not too proud to say so.
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Medication wont be for everyone, but shouldn’t be dismissed either.
In my case there was not a particular stressor to address, just an all encompassing wish to cease to exist which crept up on me, in hindsight, over years.
My GP not only talked with me extensively about medication options, pros and cons, but also arranged for me to see a Psychologist and as a team, using all available methods, I am now in the last 3 days of the plan to wean me off medication after 18 months, and fingers crossed, I can now use the other tools I now have to never revisit that dark dark place.
For me, the medication gave me an immedaite reprieve from the pain of suicidal thoughts. It allowed me enough carity to focus on the issue, not mask it, to beat it.
I was blessed in that my GP, Phychologist and family and friends were all there for me, once I ‘came out’ with my problem. And extremely lucky that the first medication and dosage we tried, worked for me. It wont be the same for everyone.
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I lost 5 years of my life to anti-depressants.
I had a big series of very significant, very stressful events happen within the space of 3 months – two friends died in tragic circumstances (separately – one was cancer and the other was a road death), i moved house, I started a new job AND a new TAFE course (which was in community work and turned out to be one giant trigger for things that had happened in my past), and my parents split up. I was turning 18 at the time. I had a very big and very severe breakdown. The doctor put me on a low-dose anti-depressant. A while later, I was still incredibly depressed, so the doctor upped the dosage of that anti-depressant. Later again, and I was still depressed, so another doctor tried a different kind of anti-depressant. It kept going, and the dosage on that anti-depressant was upped a few more times, and eventually I was sent to a psychiatrist, who simply upped the dosage even further, until I was taking 450mg of Effexor XR per day (the usual dose is between 75mg to 150mg, the maximum recommended dose is about 375mg from memory). He then tried adding in some other medications, like Zyprexa (which knocked me out for 2 days – but then gave me 1 day of complete and total clarity), Seroquel and Epilim. He also had me taking Stilnox (and boy do I have some funny stories about that one…)
Basically, for 5 years, I turned into a convalescent zombie. When the medical requirements for WA drivers licences changed, I lost mine, and was a housebound convalescent zombie.
I did see a psychologist for a while, but it didn’t really amount to anything. I learned some coping strategies for dealing with panic attacks, but not much about how to deal with the deep issues that were causing my depression. The psychiatrist tried some limited CBT with me, but it was ineffective, because he was not listening to what I was saying, and what I was saying was “I DON’T UNDERSTAND!”. So basically, I was left heavily medicated, and told that was going to be my life forever.
About halfway through 2011 (I was 24) I somehow decided that I was not happy with this life or that future (If you’ve ever been that heavily medicated, you’ll understand why it took me so long to reach that decision). I went to see a new GP who listened to what I had to say, and decided to help me get off the meds. It was a very long, painful process, but I did it. It’s been over 12 months now since I’ve been drug-free, and I have a real life. It almost looks normal.
Except I still struggle with what they’re saying is Bi-Polar disorder. Strangest thing is, though, now that I am not medicated, it’s much easier to cope. I am able to recognise the signs of episodes. I’m able to implement coping strategies. I’m able to “push through” often – all things I was completely unable to do while medicated. Diet and exercise have helped my treatment a lot – but while I was medicated I had a very funny appetite so didn’t eat well, and could not find the willpower to exercise.
I’m not totally anti-psychiatric medication or psychiatrists… but I’m not very trusting of them anymore either. I understand that there are definitely cases where medication is beneficial, when used properly. I think medication is used to early and too often when other strategies might help, and I think that anti-depressants in particular, are not a long-term solution, like they were presented to me.
I would rather be hit by periods of depression or mania here and there and the rest of my time have a “normal” life, than to be the morose, medicated zombie forever.
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This is my story. I went to a GP at 19 for severe insomnia. He kept asking how I was feeling, and insisted I must be depressed. I was shocked but given my mood swings thought he must know better. I was put on mess and felt dreadful, each visit to the doctor to report symptoms of feeling worse not better was met with a higher dose or a different drug. I went to numerous doctors saying nothing was
Working and I was feeling worse but they ll said the same thing. I was on high doses and taking sleeping tablets. I started hearing
Voices, was a zombie, regular self harmed and tried suicide twice. I had death inside me and noone was able to help. After 5 years I had had enough, went off drugs and was fine. I saw psychiatrists and psychologists and no one helped, they said more meds I know meds help some but they are prescribed like painkillers and can do significant damage to people. For 5 years I was medicated and told I was ill when in actual fact I was just suffering severe insomnia.
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I’ve had depression for around 15 years now, that is diagnosed for 15 years. Started off seeing a psychiatrist, was given a gambit of drugs which didn’t help (sexual dysfunction is one of the worse side effects IMO). The psychiatrist didn’t even bother to help. Went the DIY, was in an out of jobs trying to find the right fit, none did. Was only ‘happy’ when chronically unemployed and lived my life on the computer. This lasted almost 10 years. In 2009 I went to a psychologist who decided to try CBT with me. Turns out I have Aspergers on top of depression, she has been wonderful and with her help am facing uni (at 40 no less). Also last year stress got a little much so she recommended a ‘mild’ anti depressant. I’ve been on those now for around 6 months or so, and even though I’m unable to cry to express extreme levels of emotion, I’m more balanced overall, which is a preferable outcome.
My point is, even though ‘Richard’s’ story worked for him, it does not work for everyone. Depression, and other mental illness, is highly personal and require a more ‘tailored’ approach than say whipping out a gall bladder. For example people say exercise works in helping with depression, with me it makes it worse (I really hate being hot and sweaty). With the right help, usually with professional assistance, that black dog can be kept away…it’ll never completely go away, but it can be stopped from scratching at the door.
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Totally agree, it is a very individual thing. Even things like ‘exercise’ may not help. With my husband he had to find the right type, exercising in isolation didn’t help but joining a cycling club, being around a broad group of people outside did. Being on medication for a while helped him search for things he enjoyed doing, a feeling that he’d lost touch with due to the depression.
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I really like all the stuff you write, Arokh, and this is no exception.
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Having dealt with depression for a number of years in cycles, Ive been able to identify triggers. I also discovered years ago that the toxicity of the drugs simply dulled the depression and certainly didn’t solve or cur the depression. Infact, made matters worse and resulted in a rehab stint. A third party is a good answer to getting everything off your chest and also helps you see whether or not your feelings are realistic or if you need that 3rd party to help you create a different understanding or view from another perspective. I have found that regression only opens a can of worms and the best help is along the lines of a Life coach who can move you towards focusing on the future instead of tearing yourself apart from the past. The past can never be undone but the future can hold so much more. Yes, I still have my moments and quickly arrange an appointment with my therapist. Hypnotherapy all has assisted with managing the anxiety.
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Although not as serious as depression….my husband had a sore tooth and was told he had an infection. He was put on a course on antibiotics but told he would have to have root canal therapy. After the root canal his tooth was left weakened, so some time after (when he was able) he was eating his meal when his tooth cracked into two pieces and had to be removed in a two hour procedure. His tooth is now missing as the replacement he had drilled into the bone has fallen out twice.
In some cases it really does pay to get a second opinion….who can you trust with your health??
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Please don’t discount the role of medication in treating depression. My husband was diagnosed a few years ago, after many years of ‘there’s nothing wrong’ I insisted he go and see someone. He tried several medications before he found one that didn’t give him the worst of the side effects. This period on medication gave us the chance to cope with a new baby, change jobs and look at alternate ways to deal with it. 3 years later he is off the medication and with the help of therapy, changes in diet and joining a sports club and regular exercise he can pretty much deal with it drug free. However, it was not easy, there were ups and downs along the way, there still are, but the medication gave him space to breathe and understand what happiness felt like and look for alternatives. It also gave us time to talk about it rationally and learn about depression and give us a break from it. I for one am grateful for the role that antidepressants have played in his treatment because I doubt we’d be together and we definitely wouldn’t have our kids.
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I too had depression, luckily I guess it was pnd so they assumed that stressor. I was asked if I wanted medication by my gp but I opted for therapy ($170 a pop no less). It was very helpful but ultimately I became worse. I took meds for about 4 months and they helped immeasurably. I was glad my medics asked for my opinion and I was glad I assessed myself and ended up on meds. Although admitedlly i was offered drugs from tge get go by both gp and psychologist. It was the first port of call for them. Maybe it is really a good option (or is it the easiest option). I guess it’s different for everyone. My partner had severe depression and despised the meds and also won’t take meds. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster sometimes. One day at a time.
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I don’t think they are the easy solution. Many of the side effects are difficult to deal with.
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I am always glad to here some common sense when talking about depression. We live in a society where people what a physical cure for everything from hypertension to depression. While a pill can help doth addressing the underlying cause is often forgotten.
It is normal to be depressed if your life is stressful and finding ways to deal with / reduce that is the key to a functional life.
Pills are also useful – there are categories of depression that are biological and need treatment with medication or ect.
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Wierdly, your example of what would “never happen” actually did happen to me – in 2000 I was diagnosed with a non functioning gall bladder, scheduled for immediate surgery, and at the same time put on antidepressants for panic anxiety disorder and depression. Still in them to this day.
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